For The Weak
by tinknevertalks
Summary: Nikola Tesla is exhausted.
1. Monday?

Another Nikola as a mortal fic. When you drive a taxi car full time, you get inspiration from the weirdest places. Enjoy!

(This is set in the same universe as 'The End of The World' and 'Driving in Cars With Nikola', but you don't need to have read them to read this.)

* * *

Every part of Nikola Tesla ached. The vampire turned mortal deal was really, really grating on his nerves. His usual energy had abandoned him in his hour of need, and now he was a marionette held aloft by a single string.

He didn't even have the oomph to snap at Henry, his jaunty singing ringing through the iron wool clouding his mind. The ire was rising though the will to wittily snap a retort was not.

"Hey Tesla, you ok?"

He groaned. "Why are you annoying me, Wolfie McWolferson? Can't you see I'm busy?"

Henry's eyebrows raised. "Staring at that tripod?" He shrugged. "Whatever man, you just look tired."

"Well, I'm not," he replied petulantly, rubbing his eyes. A yawn tore from his lungs as he collapsed into a chair next to the workbench.

"Sure." Henry's tone was mocking for a moment, then changed to slightly concerned. "When was the last time you slept?"

"What day is it?"

"Thursday."

Nikola glared at the tripod. "… Monday?"

"Uh, think maybe you should?"

"Should what?"

"Sleep?"

Nikola's lip curled into a tired sneer. "Sleep's for the weak…" he mumbled, eyes closing as his head rested heavily on his hand.

* * *

"Henry?" Magnus was by his elbow as he faced his monitor. The snores were unmistakable.

"Sleep is for the weak?" he offered as an explanation, shrugging. Looking at the figure across from them, Henry looked concerned. Arms for pillows, the bench a pro-tem bed, Nikola had apparently given in.

Helen shook her head. "You carry on, Henry," she told him, walking around the desk.

He watched as she moved, worried, because he'd seen that look before. She was taking no prisoners today. "You sure we shouldn't…?"

"If he really was asleep, his snores wouldn't be anywhere near as loud… Would they, Nikola?" Her last question was almost breathed into his ear, and if the flushing of their tips was anything to go by, she had certainly caused a reaction.

Turning his head so he could see her with one eye, he mumbled, "I don't snore."

"Of course you don't," she replied, soothing but sarcastic. "Come on, Henry doesn't need you in here, cluttering up his space." She tried pulling him up by his arm, but he wouldn't budge. "Nikola…"

"I can't feel my knees," he told her, dizzily, head up from his arms.

Helen quirked an eyebrow. Henry winced. Nikola yelped. Dragged up by his ear was an experience he had long forgotten. "Ow ow ow! Ok, I'm up! Wow! When did you get so mean, Helen?"

"When did you last sleep?" she asked, ignoring him.

"Heinrich?"

"He thinks Monday?" Henry replied. "And I really hate it when you call me that," he muttered quietly to him.

"Stop answering to it and I'll stop calling you that," Nikola replied, smirking and swaying.

Rolling her eyes, Helen pushed Nikola away from the bench towards the door. "Go to bed."

He pouted, "Read me a story."

Shaking her head, she turned back to Henry and the monitor. Hearing him mutter darkly about being dismissed, ignored and various hurt feelings, and his footsteps recede, she sighed. "I thought I was done with sending children to bed."

"You're still gonna check on him though?" Henry asked, not looking away from his monitor.

Helen nodded, smiling slightly. "Of course."


	2. Silk Pyjamas

I said over on AO3 that I blamed DownToTheSea for this... I still do, but that's ok, cause she rocks. As does Rinari7 (if she's here on ), who beta read this for me. Mad props to her. XD Anyways, enjoy (and review if you like it).

* * *

In a surprise turn of events, it had only taken half an hour to discuss the state of the Sanctuary network with Henry. The malware remnants from a previous cyber-attack were slowly being eradicated, and the firewalls were holding steady.

Half an hour. That should have been long enough, if he had listened to her. Sighing, Helen knew he wouldn't have; he could be obstinate when he wanted. Walking to his room in the guest wing gave him another five minutes grace. As a vampire he could forgo on sleep as needed, a habit he hadn't tried to break since the devamping, but now his mortal body needed rest.

A gentle knock on his door (as a warning) before walking in, a glance to the bed (empty, as she'd thought), and a peek to the fireplace confirmed her suspicions. Sat upright on the couch was Nikola. _Found him._

Letting her high heels announce her presence, she drifted closer to him. Leaning on the back of the sofa, her head close to Nikola's, she remarked quietly, "I'm sure I said, 'Go to bed.'"

Glancing at her, he blinked owlishly, as if roused mildly from a daydream. "Not a child, Helen," he mumbled, just as softly, his words those of defence.

She nodded, her lips pursed. "No, you're not, but you do need sleep." Laying a hand on his shoulder, she squeezed slightly. "You'll feel better for it," she cajoled.

Deflation, capitulation – he was as tired as he looked. "Fine… Tuck me in?" he asked, his usual piranha grin slower to appear as he turned his head to look at her.

She snorted, "Would you actually stay there if I did?"

He smirked, "Probably, if you stayed too."

Pausing a moment, Helen quirked a small, lopsided smile and pushed off the furniture. Extending her hand, she grinned fully. "Come on."

His eyes widened comically, his piranha grin softening as his jaw dropped. "Uh… Helen?"

Tilting her head, her fingers splaying under the weight of her explanation, she replied, "You need to sleep." She sighed. "It's not as if this is something new, or have you forgotten Egypt? Or those times in London?"

Nodding slowly, he grasped her outstretched hand. Keeping it aloft, he rose and together they walked the length of the couch and the space between there and the bed like in a quadrille. A very odd, underdressed quadrille. He had changed into sleepwear – silk, striped pyjamas - and Helen didn't want to contemplate what would have happened had he been in his rumpled suit. The bed itself hampered further movement forward, until she smiled and released his hand.

Turning down the quilt, she tilted her head to the mattress. Had he been more awake, Helen knew he'd have said something flirty to dispel the tension (or, more likely since their re-acquaintance in Rome, to ratchet it up). As it was, he collapsed face first onto the bed. Shaking her head, she watched as he curled up under the cover he dragged over his body. Leaning close, she said, "Goodnight Ni—"

"Stay."

Concern washed through her as he grabbed her hand. To be asked was one thing, but the almost pleading tone in his voice cut her to the core. Nodding, she kicked off her shoes and settled next to him, on top of the duvet. Their fingers laced together, he fell asleep quickly, his breathing levelling out within minutes. Helen could only theorise the cause of his current bout of insomnia. Maybe his run in with the multipedes had affected him more than he'd let on.

Certain that he was asleep, she slowly unwound her legs and shifted slightly to the right, to feel his fingers tighten. "Nikola," she whispered softly to herself. Trying again to move, he repeated his motions.

"Stay," he mumbled quietly, his voice throaty and low.

Looking at her clothes (not her usual office smart fare, but not pyjamas by any stretch of the imagination), before glancing at their clasped hands (his fingers were slender and matched hers for paleness), she made up her mind. "Move over," she murmured after turning off the bedside lamp, bringing her knees to her chest as she tried to get under the covers one handed.

"Night," he mumbled slowly against her neck, wrapping his body around her. As he was already warm, Helen couldn't help but relax against him. Sighing and smiling softly in the darkness, it wasn't long before she joined him in the land of Nod.


End file.
